Rowing apparatus



@5' ummm l lig@ 'I f April 22, 1930. A.' E, HECO'X 1,755,922

RQWING APPARATUS Filed June 28, 1929 Egg/Z 'I Patented Apr. 272, 1930 f UNITED STATES ,ALBERT E. HECOX, F LANSING', MICHIGAN RowING APPARATUS,

Application med June 2s, 1929. semi '.No. 374,337.

This invention relates to rowing appara-V tus, and belongs directly to that class of devices intended to enable a person rowing a boat to move the boat in the same direction in which the rower is facing.

` The .object of this invention is the production .of an apparatus of the nature stated which may be applied to the gunwale or edge portion of any rowboat, Without the use of m tools or other appliances. It is also an object of this invention to reduce the number of Vparts of the apparatus, and to provide those parts with reinforced portions particularly located by which the strength of the partsy is believed to be materially increased 1n strength, enabling` them to withstand any amount of rough treatment in practice. It

is thought to be an obvious advantage to have such parts which are almost always 2o given the very hardest usage, made practically unbreakable or as nearly so as may be. With this end in view the clamp base and rocker plate of this invention are reinforced as herein described.

The special construction of the parts in which this invention immediately consists is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application.

Fig. 1 of the drawings represents an end 3o view of the clamp base or member of this inA vention which is intended to be secured to the gunwale or edge of the side of a-boat shown.

j? Fig. 2 is a front View of the clamp base detached, and showing the front reinforced portions. f

. Fig. 3 is a top view of the clamp base, and shows the reinforced portions extending for Y a distance over and upon the top of the base.

v ii'fFig. 4 is a back view of the clamp base,

and'shows the reinforcing portions near the ends extending downwardly upon the back.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view 0f the rocker plate, yshowing the ears at the sides, and the crossed reinforcing ribs on the under side of the plate.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the rocker plate showing the spaced raised gear seats or suports. p ig. 7 is an end view of the rocker plate.

Fig; 8 is a top View of all the parts assembled for operation.

Throughout the drawings and description the same number is used to refer to the same part.vr

Considering the drawings, the side or gunwale l1 of the boat has applied thereto a member termedherein the base clamp. It comprises'a rear flat plate 2 placed against the inside 'of the boat, upon the top of which rests the flat top 4 of the clamp base. The base is secured by thumbscrews, such as the screw 3, and of which there 'are usually two alike, `passing through front downwardly extending reinforced extensions or portions 5. The screw holes in the reinforces 5 are marked 6 in Fig.'2. The clamp base has the spaced 11p-standing ears 7, which are'provided with lholes 8 for pivot pins, and the lower portions of the ears are thickened into cross bars 9A It will be noted that the reinforced portion 5 at each end near the ears is extended over and upon the top 4; of the clamp base and marked 10. A reinforce portion 11 alsoextends down the back plate 2, as shown in Fig. t. f K

The parts or members thus far mentioned and described individually may comprise integral portions of the clamp base. That is to say, the base with its ears and reinforcingextensions may be made of a single metal piece cast or otherwise formed of sutiicient size and strength. The form shown is found to afford great strength for the purpose.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate the rocker plate 12. It is usually formed forst-rength with the crossed ribs 13 on the under side as set out in Fig. 5. The ears 14c at the si des project downwardly as illustrated in Fig. 7. The top of the rocker plate 12 as shown in Fig. 6 is flat and it is provided at middley points near the ends with the cylindrical portions 15 termed for the purposes of this explanation gear seats. Each of the gear seats has a central -hole 16 for the pivots hereafter noted.

Considering Fig. 8 it will be understood that 'the ears 14 of the rocker plate 12 are placed next to the ears 7 .fof the base clamp. and pivot pins 17 are passedp'through the ears of the clamp base and rocker plate to secure flo i SPeceph-ipstanlingearsitheseidhasaherins f f v 1,755,922

the ears pivotally together. The members are shown assembled in Fig. 8. In assemblingthe parts the'disk gears 18 and 19 are placed upon the gear seats 14. AThe toothed disks'orm each a ysingle piece with sockets 2O and 21, of any chosen pattern7 in which are fixed the Customaryoperatng handle 22 and Oar sta, l 23- A teplate or @Qnnea 24 ,extenslsiramp disk toy disk and the pivot pins 25 and 26p n Y through the tie plate and disks as sh'iifnl 'f The operation is as usualfin-.sueh afppli'a--iieesa I If the handle is pulled to the roWer the oar sweeps in the Water in like direction,l and the boat is driven in the dreetion faced by the occupant. The handle and oar may be turned parts are not readily broken. i v l VHfrwueinow ,described `.andexplained#dus lnrenton, I; claim iff In a rowing apparatus, a clamp base having Y reel' body. plateend spaced downwardly a tendmg-remf012-eed portionsn front. provided v.withlhumbscews fer-Securngfthe ,Clampbase to the gunwal 0f ,a .b0at:,',tl.1e said, renprced portens extendingffor; distance, over; and 11i-loathe top. of .said- Clamp'baseavthe Said. rear Plate having downwardly xtendngsffenv iozaedfportons near the ends framedl grally .with the said ears, a; lecker plat-@.lnrO-J vid, ediles thebottoneA with 'earsfmranged to theea-rs ofthe-clampbase andwpivotally at; tl-shed# .'thretfz, ,roe-ker plate havngjdi#Vv nagellak .reinforgengf ribs onf the bottom; said l'oeker plate havingf onthetopintegral raised gearseatsrspaqecl apart/ien oar ,and a separa-te ope t1; handleharing-geared disks. meshng-- with-f teach?,- Qtherf f Midi l protally. Secured 'so upon theisaid gearseawf ChG-.IOGkQ1- Plate.

In testimonywhereof I signature..

Y :ALBERT E? HECOX- sa` -f Y 

